Derek Cornelius hits new levels at Rangers as fantastic stats emerge in win over Dundee
Derek Cornelius is quickly becoming a key player at Rangers following the 3-0 win over Dundee in the Scottish Premiership on Sunday.
Goals from Nico Raskin and Mikey Moore put Rangers into cruise control 15 minutes in, before Djeidi Gassama’s brilliant strike secured all three points for the Bears.
Danny Rohl has won three league games in a row for Rangers, and the fans are fully backing the German manager to be successful after a torrid start to the season under Russell Martin.
Cornelius joined Rangers from Marseille on a season-long loan deal on deadline day, with the centre-back becoming one of the standout stars at Ibrox.
In Rangers’ win against Dundee, Cornelius was phenomenal defensively, and absolutely nothing got past him at Dens Park.
Derek Cornelius shines in another promising display vs Dundee
Cornelius has had a different playing career to most, embracing challenges in six different countries before he arrived in Govan.
Despite Rangers’ defensive woes, Cornelius has been frequently praised for his ability to read the game.
Against Dundee, the 27-year-old defender won 100 per cent of his ground and aerial duels, as the Bears secured a much-needed clean sheet.
| Stat | Derek Cornelius |
| Minutes played | 82 |
| Pass accuracy | 53/57 (93%) |
| Ground duels won | 3/3 (100%) |
| Aerial duels won | 4/4 (100%) |
Cornelius registered a brilliant assist against Falkirk, and his passing ability offers another dimension for how Rangers can build up possession.
In the Scottish Premiership this season, Cornelius has made 15 tackles and 30 recoveries, and it’s been evident to see how integral he is to the defensive structure of the team.
His varied experiences abroad have shown that he is incredibly adaptable to whatever his playing environment may be, and he has shown character in the early parts of this season to quieten the noise around G51 with some of his performances.
Since Rohl has taken over the team, he has largely used three centre-backs to help solve the defensive problems Rangers have faced.
Danny Rohl’s system gets the best out of Derek Cornelius
The Canadian international is accustomed to playing in this system, and his experience under Marseille manager Roberto De Zerbi has definitely helped his progression for the Light Blues.
At Marseille, Cornelius made 23 appearances in 2024-25, playing the majority of those games on the left side of a back three.
| Stat | Cornelius’ Ligue 1 stats |
| Pass accuracy | 93.8% |
| Tackles won | 70.8% |
| Aerial duels won | 66.7% |
| Duels won | 59.8% |
Emmanuel Fernandez and Nasser Djiga have all gone down as poor signings in defence already, but Cornelius’ arrival might be one of the only smart pieces of business that Kevin Thelwell has overseen.
Cornelius will be in action for Canada against Ecuador and Venezuela during this break, and Rohl will be praying that he comes back fully fit ahead of Rangers’ clash against Livingston on 22 November.
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